MHA dismisses allegations of Singapore’s involvement in financing Indonesian Presidential candidates

SINGAPORE: Amidst online allegations of Singapore’s interference in foreign elections, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) released a statement strongly denouncing any involvement of foreign politics within Singapore’s borders.

In a press statement issued on Thursday (4 Jan), MHA reiterated the Singaporean government’s staunch opposition to such interference and highlighted its commitment to take decisive action against any individuals or groups implicated.

MHA revealed that there have been online rumours suggesting that Singapore might have funds used to support platforms for certain Indonesian presidential candidates.

The statement mentioned that the Singaporean government firmly opposes the introduction of other countries’ politics into the city-state.

MHA asserted that persons visiting, working or living in Singapore should not use Singapore to conduct political campaigning or fundraising to further a political agenda overseas.

“We will deal firmly with any individual or group found to be doing so, including termination of immigration facilities.”

MHA’s statement possibly stemmed from online interview aired on Youtube in November last year

While the MHA did not explicitly mention any websites or entities in its statement, the allegations seem to stem from an interview featuring Mardigu Wowiek Prasantyo, an Indonesian businessman and self-proclaimed political analyst.

The interview, hosted by the former chair of Indonesia’s Corruption Eradication Commission, Mr Abraham Samad, premiered on 26 November last year.

Titled in Bahasa Indonesia as ‘Intelligence Leaks: Conspiracy of 3 Foreign Countries to Control the 2024 Presidential Election,’ the video had amassed over 2.09 million views as of Thursday at 4 pm.

During the conversation conducted in Indonesian, both Mr Mardigu and Mr Abraham put forth several allegations regarding foreign interference in the Indonesian elections.

Mardigu expressed his opinion that three countries—China, the United States, and notably Singapore—could exert influence on the Indonesian Election, highlighting Singapore as more powerful than the other two.

He suggested that Singapore is striving for survival and stability, emphasizing its significant investments in Indonesia.

During the interview, the duo delved into rumours suggesting funds are parked in Singapore for future use in Indonesia’s presidential election to back particular candidates.

Mardigu highlighted how these rumours have spread widely, stating, “It’s public knowledge, whether from foreign sources or oligarchs. It’s uncertain, but the goal is to secure victory for specific candidates and a particular nation. This situation serves as a lesson for Indonesia.”

@abrahamsamad_

Bossman Mardigu, Bocoran intelijen: 3 Negara Asing Mengatur Pilpres 2024. Singapura jadi negara ke-3 yang harus diantisipasi setelah Amerika dan Tiongkok. Saksikan selengkapnya di Youtube Abraham Samad SPEAK UP! Jangan lupa subscribe, like, comment, & share! #AbrahamSamadSpeakUp #AbrahamSamad #BossmanMardigu #Pilpres2024 #Jokowi #Prabowo #Gibran #Aniesbaswedan #Cakimin #Ganjarpranowo #MahfufMd #kpu #bawaslu

♬ suara asli – Abraham Samad – Abraham Samad

Indonesia braces for presidential election

The General Election Commission (KPU) in Indonesia has officially announced that the voting day for the 2024 General Election is scheduled for 14 February 2024.

The election features three pairs of candidates: Anies Baswedan-Muhaimin Iskandar, Prabowo Subianto-Gibran Rakabuming Raka, and Ganjar Pranowo-Mahfud MD.

Earlier, Indonesian legislators expressed concerns about foreign interests and alleged that the US was attempting to influence the Indonesian election process through foreign non-governmental organizations (NGOs).

In December 2023, KPU disclosed that the commission had received a letter from the Financial Transaction Reports and Analysis Center (PPATK) concerning suspicious transactions linked to the 2024 election campaign.

According to the PPATK, these funds could be used for election campaigning or political bribery.